Thursday, June 30, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Court: Adware Can Pop-up Competitors' Ads
A federal appeals court has ruled that adware or spyware can legally pop-up a competitor's ad when you visit a website. So, if you are go to FEDEX, it is legal for them adware company to pop-up a UPS ad. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Bank of America to Buy MBNA
Can Bank of America get any bigger? The answer is yes, because it just announced it is taking over MBNA -- the big credit card issuer. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Activists Want Supreme Ct Judge's Home Converted to Hotel
After last week's controversial court ruling that local municipalities can seize private property and turn it over to developers for conversion to a higher tax paying use, activists in NH are seeking to take possession of Supreme Court Judge Souter's home and have it converted to a hotel. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Some Theaters Offer Refunds for Bad Movies
Hear is an unheard of money back guarantee: if you don't like the movie, you get a full refund. That is what is happening at AMC theaters for certain movies (that did not get good reviews). Theaters are also looking to discounting schemes to lure in more people. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Mini Price War Erupts for Broadband
The only good kind of war is a price war, and that is what is happening in limited areas for broadband Internet. SBC started it with a $14.95 a month rate for a year. Now competitors are joinin in. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.TSA Selling Seized Goods on eBay
Psst. Need a pocketknife? Need 10 pounds of pocketknives? The security folks at the airport (TSA) confiscate scissors and pocketknives and other sharp objects daily at the security check-in areas. What do they do with that stuff? Sell it on eBay! For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Haggle Your Way to a Bargain
Some people love to dicker over price. I'd rather find the lowest price and not have to negotiate. If you are the haggling type, here are some tips on how to negotiate for a better bargain. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Monday, June 27, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Court: Cable Companies Don't Have to Share Their Lines
The Supreme Court ruled that cable companies don't have to share their lines with other Internet providers. This means that competition is likely to decrease in the cable Internet market -- and that usually means higher prices. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
File-Sharing Services Can be Sued
The Supreme Court just ruled, reversing a lower court ruling, that file-sharing services can be sued if they know their software can be used to illegally swap songs or movies. Copyright holders have gone after such services claiming they facilitate copyright infringement. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Landlord Chutzpah: Move So I Can Occupy 15 Apartments
In New York City, some apartments are rent-controlled or rent-stabilized, meaning rents and rent increases are limited. One way around the law is to say that you, the landlord, want to occupy the apartment yourself. That's exactly what a NY landlord wanted recently, when he sent notices of lease non-renewal to his tenants in 15 apartments in one building. He said he wanted to occupy all 60 rooms himself (along with his wife and child). The matter is in court. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Friday, June 24, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Beware Credit Card Fees Overseas
There is just no end to the imaginative ways that credit card issuers nickel and dime their users. The latest are new, higher fees if purchases goods with your credit card overseas. Expect to see fees as high as three percent of the purchase amount. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Supreme Court: Cities Can Seize Your Home for Wal-Mart
In a blow to private property rights, the US Supreme Court has ruled that local municipalities can seize private property for the benefit of other private property interests. In other words, if Wal-Mart wants to build in your city, and your home is in the way, the expanded rules on eminent domain allow the city to take your house (for just compensation) and give it to Wal-Mart for development. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Get Drug Refills from a Vending Machine!
Soon no human beings will provide any service for us -- machines will do all the work. But can you replace a pharmacist? Apparently, yes. There is a new vending machine on the market that looks like an ATM will can dispense prescription drug refills without human assistance. It has been approved for use already in CA AND VA. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
19 Ways to Get More Out of Your Auto Insurance Policy
This article provides tips on getting the most for your money when buying auto insurance, and when you have to make a claim. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Car Black Boxes to Record More Data
Hidden inside many new cars is a black box that records key information about how fast the driver is going, whether the brakes were applied, etc., as a way of helping to determine the cause of failures and accidents. Some see it as big brother. Now NHTSA is proposing to require that these black boxes record more information. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Dear MasterCard: I'm Changing Our Agreement
Here is a tongue-in-cheek column from the Houston Chronicle turning the tables on credit card issuers. The writer is changing the terms of her credit card agreement with her company, unilaterally and retroactively. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Soon Dial-up Internet Will be Faint Memory
This year will be the first year that more Internet surfers use broadband high-speed access than old-fashioned dial-up service. For rates as low as $14.95 (SBC intro offer), why stick with pokey dial-up? For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
How Hot Credit Cards are Peddled Online
How does a crook use 40 million credit card numbers? He gets a little help from others online who want to buy a live credit card number for only $40 or $50. This article explains the seemier side of this online trade. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.New Soft Drink Increases Metabolism to Burn Calories!?
Is it possible? Drink a bottle of Celsius -- a new soda -- and burn more calories because it increases your metabolism for three hours? The makers claim they have the proof, and that theoretically you could lose 17 pounds a year just by drinking one bottle a day. Currently, only available in Florida and Alabama. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.Hi-Tech Grocer Gadget Guides Shoppers
The Shopping Buddy is a computer tablet that sits on your grocery shopping cart and guides you around the store. It tells you what's on sale, and also contains a list of items you frequently buy (with your frequent shopper card). This story describes the system, and what the future looks like for grocery shoppers. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Banks Want You Online. So Do Criminals.
Oh, what's a consumer to do? Online banking is so convenient, but scammers keep trying to steal your login ID. What's a consumer to do? For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Requiring Spam to be Labeled Doesn't Reduce It
A new government report says that laws requiring spam to be labeled in the subject live with abbreviations like ADV: don't work to the reduce the volume of junk email. Apparently there is a belief (probably right) that rogue spammers will simply ignore the law. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Tips on Buying a Mattress
When shopping for a mattress, Good Housekeeping has some surprising advice: don't count coils, don't buy a pillowtop mattress, and don't expect to be able to use your old sheets. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Your Cellphone May Become Your Bank
The next big thing to hit your cellphone will be the ability to pay bills. Some say it may replace credit cards, debits cards, Quicken, Paypal, and the like. In foreign countries, this is already a reality, and tests will begin soon in the US. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.40 Million Credit Card Numbers Compromised
MasterCard announced today that a credit card processing company (which processes most credit card brands, not just MasterCard) had a security breach in May which has put 40 million credit card numbers at risk for fraud. This story will be unfolding over the next few days, so stay tuned for updates, and visit Consumer World.
Consumer Group Wants Warning on Potato Chips
Warning: You Can't Eat Just One. That's not exactly the warning that a California consumer group is seeking as a requirement on potato chip packages. They want a warning saying that the chips contain a chemical that can cause cancer. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Soon Your Old TV Won't Work Anymore
Thanks to congress, your old analog TV will no longer work because it will be incapable of receiving digital signals -- the only signal that will be broadcast by about 2009. You might have to buy a new TV, or buy a digital converter box. That box will probably cost more than old TV is worth. What is congress thinking, says this columnist for the Baltimore Sun. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Airlines Selling Trip Cancellation Insurance
You can now buy trip cancellation insurance on a number of airlines -- but don't get too excited. For about 4% of the trip price you can get a refund, but only in limited, defined circumstances, like certain medical emergencies. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Cellphones Distract Drivers the Most
If you are going to get into a car crash because of a distraction, it is most likely that a cell phone will be the culprit, according to a new study. Second on the list of top distractions -- passengers. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
BT Unveils Wireless/Landline Phone Combo
It's a cellphone. No, it's a landline phone. No, it's two phones in one. Imagine a single phone that operates like any other cellphone outside the home, but at home, it connect to your broadband connection and provide cheap VoIP service. BT (British Telecom) has just unveiled this little marvel. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Frozen Food Can Do a Dieter Good
Here's a way to lose weight: eat frozen food! Well, you can cook it, if you like. Seriously, a recent study compared people on diets of equal calories, and the group that ate frozen food entrees lost more weight. How come? When people have to prepare their own food, they tend to not be able to control portion size as well as people who eat size-controlled portions. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Monday, June 13, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Florida Intros Large, Low-Carb Potato
Imagine a russet potato with 30% fewer carbohydrates and 25% fewer calories. Don't imagine. It has been invented in Florida, coming to a store near you. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Average Home Appreciated 12.5% in Past Year
The real estate boom continues. Newly released figures show that home appreciated 12.5% on average since the first quarter of 2004, and in some places, like California, home values went up over 25%. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.New Rules on Donating Old Cars to Charity
Before you donate that old clunker to a charity you have seen or heard advertised, you better understand the IRS' new rules on such donations. You may only be able to deduct the selling price of the car (the price the charity gets when it gets rid of the vehicle, rather than the fair market value). For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Drinking Diet Soda/Getting Fat Linked!
Now another medical study is bringing us more bad news. It seems that people who drink one glass of diet soda a day have a tendency to get fat years later. And those who drink two cans a day, have a tendency to get even fatter! Oy! (Next week, of course, we'll be told that diet soda prevents cancer and is healthy to drink.) For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Why Are Food Packages So Hard to Open?
Do you ever wonder if grocery product manufacturers try to open the packages they produce? The bags won't open no matter how much you try to pull them apart at the seams. The easy-tear strips don't pull off in one piece. People are fed up with packages that don't work. Are manufacturers listening? For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Friday, June 10, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Lexmark Loses a Round over Cartridge Refills
Maybe there really is justice in the world. The Supreme Court just refused to hear a case where Lexmark is trying to prevent less expensive inkjet cartridge makers from selling cartridges that will work in Lexmark printers. (They have to use software in a computer chip to make the cartridge recognizable by Lexmark printers.) The case is far from over, however. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Will That be Cash, Charge, or Fingerprint?
The future is here. Stores around the country are slowly beginning to rollout a security device that will let you pay your bill using your fingerprint as verification. Some predict this technology will be common place in the future. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.FCC Speeds Up Digital TV Deadlines
The FCC just moved up the date by which mid-size televisions must be able to receive digital signals to March 2006. By this July 1, half of such sets must be digital ready. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Norelco Rechargeable Shaver -- AMAZING $19.99
Holey, moley. There has NEVER been a price like this for a rechargeable, 3-head Norelco electric razor. Sears is offering model 6617X on SATURDAY morning 8AM to 11AM ONLY for an amazing $19.99 at their stores. It is unclear whether this item is online also. The downside is that this model requires 16 hours to charge. For more consumer news (and bargains), visit Consumer World.Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Raisins May Protect Against Cavities
A new study reveals that raisins can help suppress certain bacteria in the mouth, and thus protect against cavities and gum disease. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Are Expired Medications Still Effective?
So you have all these viles of pills in your medicine cabinet that expired last year. Can you still safely take them? Are they still medically effective? Like everything in medicine, one study says yes, and another says no. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Citibank Loses Data on Millions of Customers
Citibank just acknowledged that personal information, including social security numbers of mortgage and loan accountholders is missing. The data was on tapes being shipped via UPS to a credit bureau. Citi plans to notify all the affected customers. Credit card customers are not affected. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Yahoo! Drops Listing Fees for Auctions
To encourage more people to post articles for sale at Yahoo! Auctions, the company has eliminated listing fees in the US. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Is it a Hotel? Is it a Condo? It's Both.
The latest wrinkle in condos is a condo/hotel. Owners buy a unit, stay there when they want, or rent it out and get about half the proceeds. See how it works. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Can You Sue Your Stockbroker For Bad Advice?
Investors who use "full service" brokers pay a premium for stock trades because they are really buying advice from their broker/financial advisor. What happens when that advice stinks? This is story of one man who brought his broker (and friend) to arbitration because says the man, his Merrill Lynch broker gave him a bum steer (or two, or three, or four). For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Friday, June 03, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Got Nanny? Get Shredder!
Under new rules of the FTC, even the smallest employer must shred documents that contain personal information about others in your employ. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Pharmacists Could be Liable if Patient Dies
In Florida, an appeals court just reversed a lower court ruling, thus allowing a widower to sue two pharmacists for negligence in the death of his wife. He alleges that the pharmacists should have warned his wife about using particular drugs repeatedly or in combination with other drugs. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Gillette Ordered to Pull M3Power Ads
Schick has won the first battle in a case against Gillette, alleging that their M3Power battery-operated razor does not make the hair on the fair stand up straight to more easily be cut off. The judge in the case said the claims were "greatly exaggerated" and "literally false". For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Apple Settles iPod Battery Case
Apple has just agreed to settle a consumer class action lawsuit which alleged that the batteries in its original iPods didn't last for the life of the device or as long per charge, as Apple had represented. Apple will give these owners a $50 coupon good toward Apple products, and will also extended their warranty to two years. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.FTC Puts Squeeze on Tropicana Claims
Can orange juice really improve your cholesterol and lower your blood pressure? The FTC didn't think so when Tropicana began making health claims for its Healthy Heart orange juice, and could not prove them. The company is now prohibited from making such claims in the future without reliable scientific evidence. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.New Privacy Rules in Effect Today
The FTC is implementing new rules today to help protect consumers' personal information. Information obtained from credit bureaus by companies must be disposed of in a reasonable manner to protect that information from falling into the hands of others. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Study: Consumers Easily Exploited Online and Off
Sixty-four percent of American adults do not know that it is legal for online stores to charge different people different prices at the same time of day for the same product. This Groundbreaking new study explores this and many other shopping facts that all Americans need to know in order to protect themselves from online and offline exploitation. PDF FORMAT. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
